The Book of Isaiah

Chapter 1 V.1 Part 3.2 High Places

I considered this material for a book, but it is more readily available on the internet for anyone to see, versus having to pay for a book, which, in these times, may not be affordable to some. So again, I’ve gotta warn you about the depth in this study.

You will need to follow all of this study to fully understand what God has revealed to me in all of this, and I will be putting this notice in the studies and maybe even links back to other posts in this study, because I’m going down levels here.

If you are simply reading this one post, you will not get it all. Your understanding will be impaired as to the big picture. The individual studies may give you some understanding in the context of that individual section, but the overall scope of this will not be understood unless you follow through the entire study. Bear in mind…I’m still digging under the reference of Isaiah 1:1 at this time, and what is following is the result of that search, but fair warning…it’s a vast amount of information and is quite complex.

Ok, so we know that Jotham followed God, but something in the water just didn’t smell right with this guy. So when I cross-referenced I found this:

2Ki 15:34   He did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, just as his father Uzziah had done.

2Ki 15:35   The high places, however, were not removed; the people continued to offer sacrifices and burn incense there. Jotham rebuilt the Upper Gate of the temple of the Lord.

I wanted to know what these “high places” referred to. I saw in 1 Ki. 15:4, that his grandfather Amaziah had also not removed these same “high places,” which means they carried through his father, Uzziah’s reign as well. The same occurred in 1 Ki. 12:3 with another king.

I found yet another reference for “high places” in 1 Ki. 11:7 after Solomon began marrying all the foreign women, and serving other gods. Some of you might remember the reference I made to the book of Joshua being a book of victory, and the book of Judges being a book of defeat, and of course, here it is again in the book of defeat. Judg. 2:13 again mentions it, but this time with an identity attached.

Jdg 2:13   because they forsook him and served Baal and the Ashtoreths.

The law concerning this is found here:

Deu 16:21   Do not set up any wooden Asherah pole[fn2] beside the altar you build to the Lord your God,

Deu 16:22   and do not erect a sacred stone, for these the Lord your God hates.

Footnotes:

16:21 Or Do not plant any tree dedicated to Asherah

So let’s find out who and/or what an Asherah pole represents.

Asherah: And pl. Asherim in Revised Version, instead of “grove” and “groves” of the Authorized Version. This was the name of a sensual Canaanitish goddess Astarte, the feminine of the Assyrian Ishtar. Its symbol was the stem of a tree deprived of its boughs, and rudely shaped into an image, and planted in the ground. Such religious symbols (“groves”) are frequently alluded to in Scripture (Exd 34:13; Jdg 6:25; 2Ki 23:6; 1Ki 16:33, etc.). These images were also sometimes made of silver or of carved stone (2Ki 21:7; “the graven image of Asherah,” R.V.). (See GROVE [1].).

Grove:

(1.) Heb. ‘asherah, properly a wooden image, or a pillar representing Ashtoreth, a sensual Canaanitish goddess, probably usually set up in a grove (2Ki 21:7; 23:4). In the Revised Version the word “Asherah” (q.v.) is introduced as a proper noun, the name of the wooden symbol of a goddess, with the plurals Asherim (Exd 34:13) and Asheroth (Jdg 3:13).

The LXX. have rendered _asherah_ in 2Ch 15:16 by “Astarte.” The Vulgate has done this also in Jdg 3:7.

(2.) Heb. ‘eshel (Gen 21:33). In 1Sa 22:6 and 1Sa 31:13 the Authorized Version renders this word by “tree.” In all these passages the Revised Version renders by “tamarisk tree.” It has been identified with the Tamariscus orientalis, five species of which are found in Palestine.

(3.) The Heb. word ‘elon, uniformly rendered in the Authorized Version by “plain,” properly signifies a grove or plantation. In the Revised Version it is rendered, pl., “oaks” (Gen 13:18; 14:13; 18:1; 12:6; Deu 11:30; Jos 19:33). In the earliest times groves are mentioned in connection with religious worship. The heathen consecrated groves to particular gods, and for this reason they were forbidden to the Jews (Jer 17:3; Eze 20:28).

Tamarisk:

Heb. ‘eshel (Gen 21:33; 1Sa 22:6; 31:13, in the R.V.; but in A.V., “grove,” “tree”); Arab. asal. Seven species of this tree are found in Palestine. It is a “very graceful tree, with long feathery branches and tufts closely clad with the minutest of leaves, and surmounted in spring with spikes of beautiful pink blossoms, which seem to envelop the whole tree in one gauzy sheet of color” (Tristram’s Nat. Hist.).

Now I’ve seen that tree referenced before and I have to know more about that, because I have a thing about trees, and I see things in trees…I see symbolic things about either God, or his nature or the kingdom, or people in trees. So I definitely have to dig more into this, because if this tree is as “graceful” as it is described, why is it referenced to Asherah and an Asherah pole, which was obviously an object of idol worship? That’s what I want to find out. The Old Testament is so fascinating.

Since I have seen that word Tamarisk tree before, I gotta know about that…what it is; what it stands for, and story behind who it represents. You won’t believe what I found and the long range ramifications and connectivity of it all here in modern times. This is why when people make foolish statements about how the bible, or certain segments of it is not for this day and time…they really don’t know what they are talking about. The enemy has progressed throughout the centuries, utilizing modern technology for his purposes, and designing new symbols for the same old mess.  This requires a separation and designation all on its own because I found so much information. Aside from that, I really need to break it down for you, so you will know who Asherah really is…all her names…and who she is alleged by her followers to represent. It’s just amazing how God ties things together.